Menomonie, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader at UW-Stout Saturday afternoon to open Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) play in Williams Stadium. The Blue Devils won the opener, 6-3, and the nightcap, 4-3. UWL falls to 13-11 overall and 0-2 in the WIAC while UW-Stout improves to 14-5 overall and 2-2 in the conference.

UWL took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning in Saturday's opener with a pair of unearned runs. Sydney Murphy and Sabrina Scardamaglia scored after Sarah Stewart reached on an UW-Stout error.

UW-Stout cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the second on Alicia Meyer's solo home run. Scardamaglia made it 3-1 in the top of the third for UWL with a run-scoring single to knock in Mia Schmidtke.

The Blue Devils tied the game in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs as Beth Wood and Meyer scored after an Eagles' error.

UW-Stout took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Mary Iliopoulos singled with two outs and scored on Wood's two-run home run. Meyer then doubled and later scored on a UWL error to make it 6-3.

Caitlyn Hughes (5-6) took the loss for UWL, pitching 3.2 innings, allowing six hits and five runs (four earned) with one strikeout. Katie Klein went 2.1 innings, allowing three hits, one run (unearned) and one walk with four strikeouts. UWL finished with four hits in the opener with Brittany Baldwin going 2-for-4.

Wood (6-1) earned the complete-game win for UW-Stout, going 7.0 innings, allowing four hits, three runs (one earned) and three walks while striking out three. The Blue Devils had nine hits in the game with Wood and Meyer each finishing 3-for-4. Wood had two RBI and scored twice while Meyer finished with two doubles and three runs.

In the nightcap, UW-Stout took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Meyer's two-out two-run home run. Kaylee Francois' sacrifice fly scored Melea Bruns in the bottom of the second to give the Blue Devils a 3-0 advantage.

UWL cut the deficit to 3-1 in the top of the sixth with Katie Block scoring on Dani Mestelle's pinch-hit single. The Eagles tied the game in the top of the seventh with a pair of unearned runs. Jenna Brandt scored on Scardamaglia's sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 3-2 and Schmidtke scored the tying run on Block's two-out RBI single.

UW-Stout scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Iliopoulos and Wood singled to start the inning. Both runners moved up on a passed ball and Meyer was intentionally walked to load the bases. Iliopoulos then scored the winning run on a wild pitch as the Blue Devils completed the doubleheader sweep.

Sydne Shattuck (1-3) suffered the loss for UWL, going 4.0 innings in relief, allowing six hits, one run and two walks while striking out six. Maddie Muelken started, pitching 2.0 innings, allowing four hits, three runs and one walk with one strikeout. The Eagles totaled 10 hits in the nightcap with Murphy and Stewart each going 2-for-4.

Wood (7-1) also earned the victory in the nightcap for UW-Stout, pitching 1.0 inning in relief. She allowed two hits. Bruns started for the Blue Devils, going 6.0 innings, allowing eight hits, three runs (one earned) and two walks with three strikeouts. UW-Stout also had 10 hits in the second game as Francois, Wood and Jessica Daley each had two.

UWL returns to action Monday, April 23 hosting UW-Eau Claire at 2 p.m. at North Campus Field. It will be the Eagles' home opener.